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Mourning MICHAEL J. ZISSU: 1934-2016

Michael J. Zissu, a retired New York lawyer, died of natural causes on July 12 at Broward North Hospital in Pompano Beach, Florida. He was 82 years old.

Born on June 6, 1934 to the late Leonard Zissu and Ruth Katz Zissu, Mr. Zissu grew up on Long Island and attended Lawrence High School before graduating from Blair Academy in 1952 and Dartmouth College in 1956.

At Dartmouth he played basketball and was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, which was immortalized by a fellow fraternity brother, Chris Miller, in the 1978 film Animal House. In a subsequent book, The Real Animal House, he was described as "Black Mike," a nickname given to him by his fraternity brothers.

Mr. Zissu served in the U.S. Army's Third Division, A Battery, Tenth Artillery in Germany from 1959-1961. He then returned to his studies, graduating from the New England Law School in 1962.

A longtime member of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., Mr. Zissu practiced entertainment law at Murphy & Zissu, the Manhattan law firm he founded with Patricia J. Murphy, his dear friend and former wife.

He is survived by two sons, Erik M. Zissu and Jacob R. Zissu, a daughter, Audrey Hensley, his brother, Roger Zissu, and six grandchildren. A memorial will be held in New York City.